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Who's Who - Lavr Kornilov

Lavr Kornilov (1870-1918) was the
Imperial Russian general who unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow the
Provisional Government established after the February 1917 revolution and
replace it with a military dictatorship.

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Kornilov was born in
Karkaralinsk in Western Siberia on 30 August 1870. Having graduated
from the Mikhailovsky Artillery Training Corps in 1892 he received a
commission to Turkestan, before further study at the General Staff Academy
from 1892-95.

Thereafter assigned to
intelligence duties in Iran and India, Kornilov served as a Russian agent
during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. He was Russian military
attaché to Peking between 1907-11.

Appointed to command of a
division on the Eastern Front with the outbreak of war in August 1914 he was
captured by the Austro-Hungarians at Przemsyl in March 1915. His
subsequent escape in 1916 brought him fame and assured him of rapid
promotion and command of XXV Corps on the Southwest Front.

With the February 1917
revolution Kornilov was assigned critical command of Petrograd (formerly St.
Petersburg) by the incoming Provisional Government. He was tasked with
the restoration of order and disciple among the troops stationed there
(which served to bring him unpopularity in the region).

Resigning his post at
Petrograd (where he had suggested using force to suppress Bolshevik
agitation) Kornilov returned to the battlefield and launched an abortive
Russian offensive against the Germans at Galicia.

Despite his turbulent
reputation Prime Minister
Alexander Kerenski appointed Kornilov Commander in
Chief of the army on 1 August 1917, replacing
Alexei Brusilov
(whom he had earlier served under at the start of the war).

A rift quickly developing
between the two men (politically and militarily), Kornilov ordered troops to
march on Petrograd towards the end of August and called upon the government
to resign and hand control to the Commander in Chief. Reasonably
interpreting this as a potential coup Kerenski dismissed Kornilov and
recalled him to Petrograd on 27 August.

Defying Kerenski's order
Kornilov's troops (under General Krymov) found their path to Petrograd
blocked by massed railway workers, who after discussions persuaded
Kornilov's forces to disperse.

In arranging the defence of
Petrograd the Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin had agreed to a request from
Kerenski for his assistance, although in doing so Lenin stressed that he was
doing so simply to thwart Kornilov's ambitions rather than to aid Kerenski's
government.

Arrested on 1 September
1917, Kornilov was imprisoned at Bykhov. Having escaped Kornilov
subsequently placed him at the head of the anti-Bolshevik (or "white")
forces in the Don region.

He was killed by the
Bolsheviks during fighting at Ekaterindar on 13 April 1918. He was 47.

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Saturday, 22 August, 2009Michael Duffy

A respirator was a gas mask in which air was inhaled through a metal box of chemicals.